A Saint Louis encephalitis and Rocio virus serosurvey in Brazilian horses.

INTRODUCTION: Arboviruses are an important public health problem in Brazil, in especially flaviviruses, including the Saint Louis encephalitis virus (SLEV) and the Rocio virus (ROCV), are especially problematic. These viruses are transmitted to humans or other vertebrates through arthropod bites and may cause diseases with clinical manifestations that range from asymptomatic infection, viral hemorrhagic fever to encephalitis. METHODS: A serological survey of horses from various regions of Brazil using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) with recombinant SLEV domain III peptides and ROCV E protein as antigens. RESULTS: Overall, 415 (55.1%) of the 753 horses that were screened were seropositive for flavivirus and, among them, monotypic reactions were observed to SLEV in 93 (12.3%) and to ROCV in 46 (6.1%). These results suggested that these viruses, or other closely related viruses, are infecting horses in Brazil. However, none of the studied horses presented central nervous system infection symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that SLEV and ROCV previously circulated among horses in northeast, west-central and southeast Brazil.

Serologic survey of West Nile virus in horses from Central-West, Northeast and Southeast Brazil.

Since the emergence of West Nile virus (WNV) in North America in 1999, there have been several reports of WNV activity in Central and South American countries. To detect WNV in Brazil, we performed a serological survey of horses from different regions of Brazil using recombinant peptides from domain III of WNV. Positive samples were validated with the neutralisation test. Our results showed that of 79 ELISA-positive horses, nine expressed WNV-specific neutralising antibodies. Eight of the infected horses were from the state of Mato Grosso do Sul and one was from the state of Paraíba. Our results provide additional evidence for the emergence of WNV in Brazil and for its circulation in multiple regions of the country.

Perfil e distribuição da síndrome cólica em eqüinos em três unidades militares do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Brasil / Profile and distribution of equine colic syndrome in three military units in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Este estudo teve como objetivo avaliar o perfil e a distribuição da síndrome cólica em equinos de três unidades militares no Estado do Rio de Janeiro, o Regimento Escola de Cavalaria (REsC), a Academia Militar das Agulhas Negras(AMAN) e o Esquadrão Escola de Cavalaria (EEC). No período entre 2003 e 2004, 770 equinos foram acompanhados para a ocorrência de casos clínicos de cólica. Realizou-se análise descritiva dos dados, e foram calculadas a taxa de incidência de cólica e a proporção de equinos acometidos. O teste do χ2 foi utilizado para avaliar a associação entre síndrome cólica evariáveis relativas às características dos equinos e do manejo. A incidência variou entre as unidades militares, 0,12 na AMAN, 0,21 no EEC e 0,95 casos/equino-ano no REsC, sendo acometidos 15% dos equinos da AMAN, 30% do EEC e 69% do REsC. A maior incidência foi de episódios de origem gástrica, 76,5%. Casos de reincidência foram elevados, sendo 62,5% no REsC, 36,7% na AMAN e 29,0% no EEC. A síndrome cólica estava significativamente associada às variáveis unidade militar, sistema de criação, quantidade de grãos ingerido esuplemento mineral-vitamínico. As altas incidências, reincidências e proporção de animais acometidos observadas ocorreram de forma diferenciada nas três unidades, indicando que, apesar de possuírem como característica comumpertencerem a unidades militares, os equinos formam um grupo heterogêneo no que diz respeito à ocorrência de síndrome cólica, provavelmente devido às diferentes condições de manejo.

This research aimed to verify the profile and distribution of colic syndrome in horses of three military units in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, which were Regimento Escola de Cavalaria (REsC), Academia Militar das Agulhas Negras (AMAN), and Esquadrão Escola de Cavalaria (EEC). From 2003 to 2004, 770 horses were followed up for the incidence of colic cases. A descriptive analysis of clinical data, incidence of colic cases and rate of horses affected was established. Chisquared test was used to evaluate the association among colic syndrome and variables related to horses characteristics and management. Colic syndrome incidence varied among military units as follows: 0.12 cases/horse-year at AMAN, 0.21 at EECand 0.95 at REsC, affecting 15% of horses in AMAN, 30% in EEC and 69% in REsC. The highest incidence was of gastric episodes (76.5%). Recurrence cases were 62.5% in REsC, 36.7% in AMAN and 29.0% in EEC. Colic syndrome occurred associated with variables: military unit, management, amount of intake grains and supplemented mineral-vitamin. Highincidence, recurrence and horses rate with colic were differentiated among the three units. Although the horses of military units had common characteristic , they formed a heterogeneous group in respect to colic syndrome occurrence, probably due to different management conditions.